Seven tips from an occupational therapist

At Peak Performance Physical Therapy, we want people to stay physically healthy to enjoy their lives. Unfortunately, workplace injuries take this ability away from you. Workplace injuries are more common than the public may realize.

Below are seven tips from our occupational therapists on how you can experience a better recovery from a workplace injury if it happens to you.

1. Stay positive

This is first on the list, because it is the hardest. It’s difficult to remain positive while you cannot work or live out your daily life. However, adopting a positive attitude will help you be proactive in your recovery without wanting to give up when it’s hard.

2. Get some rest

Rest is important when you’re injured. First, because it helps reduce pain. Walking or performing other activities that could stress the injury may make things worse. Second, because it helps promote recovery. While you’re resting, your body can divert resources to the injured area to help it recover.

3. Get some exercise

But didn’t you just say to rest? Yes, we did. But, it’s just as important to stay active while recovering too. There’s a balance here. After a few days of resting, it’s time to take on some light activity.

Some physical activity can help the blood circulate and keep the muscles active and strong. This can help with managing pain, promoting recovery and preventing future injuries.

It’s important to not push yourself too hard and make the injury worse, so it’s a good idea to seek professional help here.

4. Be proactive

It’s important to take your injury seriously. Recovering from a workplace injury isn’t a paid vacation. It’s your health on the line. Visit a healthcare professional like a physical therapist to help you achieve the best recovery possible at a faster rate. This will help you get back to your life and hopefully prevent future injuries.

5. Set goals

Set some short-term goals and long-term goals for your recovery. It will do your morale some good to reach the short-term goals and inspire you to keep working toward full recovery.

6. Build a support system

Remember, when you’re injured, you’re not alone. Do you have friends or family around you? Reach out for help. They can help you with daily tasks like cooking and cleaning that are too difficult when you’re injured.

If you don’t have any friends or family nearby, talk to your physical therapist about what kinds of support you can find near you.

7. Learn from what happened

This isn’t to suggest that your injury was your fault. Your injury may be the result of an unfortunate accident of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What we are suggesting though, is that you can learn to avoid being caught in a similar situation again. And, you can stay active to keep your body fit and lower the risk of a future injury from another incident.

Contact Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy for workplace injury treatment

Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who are experts in treating physical injuries and conditions. Have you recently been injured at work and are looking for help from a professional? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.